ethical hacker

American  

[eth-i-kuhl hak-er] / ˈɛθ ɪ kəl ˈhæk ər /

noun

Digital Technology.

1. a hacker who violates the security of a system usually with the knowledge and consent of the owner or developer, in order to test the code, without malicious intent.

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Etymology

Origin of ethical hacker

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

"The CIA really dropped the ball here," the ethical hacker said.

From BBC • Oct. 17, 2023

Zatko, 51, first gained prominence in the 1990s as an ethical hacker and later worked in senior positions at an elite Defense Department research unit and at Google.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 13, 2022

Rachel Tobac, an ethical hacker and CEO of SocialProof Security, offered a hypothetical example of how the feature could go awry.

From Washington Post • Sep. 1, 2022

Chowdhury was trained as an ethical hacker and observed that her friends working in cybersecurity are often able to protect systems more nimbly by creating financial incentives for people to help.

From The Verge • Nov. 19, 2021

As an ethical hacker, security researcher and data analyst, I have seen firsthand how disinformation is becoming the new focus of cyberattacks.

From Salon • Aug. 5, 2018